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Reset the Asus RT-AC5300

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Setup Router Staff
Last Updated: | Reading Time: 5 minutes

This article covers how to reset the Asus RT-AC5300 router back to factory default settings. This is not the same thing as rebooting a router. Every time your router loses power it reboots. Resetting a router erases all settings from it and returns it to factory defaults.

Warning: This is not a step to be taken lightly. A router reset will affect the following settings:

  • The router's login and password are reset to factory defaults.
  • Your WiFi login, password, and network name are reset.
  • If your router has any ISP settings they will be removed, and you will have to contact your ISP.
  • Any parental controls, firewall settings, or port forwards will be removed.

A router reset should be considered the last resort when you cannot log in to your router any other way. Before you reset your router, you may want to try recovering your router password with our Router Password Finder.

Other Asus RT-AC5300 Guides

Use a VPN Instead

Have you considered using a VPN instead of forwarding a port? For most users, a VPN is a much simpler and more secure choice than forwarding a port.

We use and recommend NordVPN because not only is it the fastest VPN, it includes a new feature called Meshnet that makes forwarding a port no longer necessary for most applications. With NordVPN Meshnet, you can connect to your devices from anywhere in the world, completely secure, over a highly encrypted VPN tunnel.

When shopping for a VPN, make sure that they meet the following criteria:

  • Your VPN provider should have a no-logs policy. This means that they do not keep any logs of any kind.
  • Make sure that your VPN provider has lots of exit nodes all around the world.
  • Check that your VPN will not affect your speed.
  • Verify that your VPN provider uses WireGuard as the underlying protocol.
  • Many people prefer a VPN provider that is not based in the United States.

This is the list of requirements that we used when we were shopping around for a VPN provider. There are lots of free, shady VPN providers out there that we looked at and dismissed.

Based in Panama, using diskless servers, and with over 6,100 servers in 61 countries, we can safely say that NordVPN satisfies all of these requirements.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN!

Once you've set up your NordVPN account on multiple computers and enabled Meshnet, you can seamlessly access all of your devices as if they were on the same network. You don't even have to log in to your router. It's very simple.

Every time you click on one of our affiliate links, such as NordVPN, we get a little kickback for introducing you to the service. Think of us as your VPN wingman.

This is the reset router guide for the Asus RT-AC5300 Asuswrt-Merlin 384.10_2. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Asus RT-AC5300

Before you resort to doing a full router reset, you may want to try running our Router Password Finder first.

Our Router Password Finder can recover your lost or forgotten router password without doing a full router reset, which can save you lots of time.

Router Password Finder - Lost or Forgotten Router Password Recovery Tool

Do not do a full router reset until after you have tried every other option to log in to your router.

Reset the Asus RT-AC5300

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There is usually a small reset button located on either the back or the bottom of a router. Look at your router and try to find something that looks like this:

Router Reset Button

Even though yours may look slightly different, you need to look for a tiny button. If you find a pinhole on the back of the router then that may be the reset button. You will need a paper clip to push it.

Hold the reset button down for 10 seconds and watch the lights. The blinking pattern of the lights on the front of the router should change when the reset is complete. Do not be concerned about holding the reset button down too long. It will not hurt anything.

Remember, this will totally reset your Asus RT-AC5300 router.

This last step should only be taken if you have tried everything else, such as using our Router Password Finder software, which can recover lost or forgotten router passwords.

Login to the Asus RT-AC5300

Now that you have finished resetting the router, you need to login to the router interface using the default username and password. Our RT-AC5300 Login Guide has all of the information that you need.

Change Your Password

After logging in to your router for the first time, you need to change your router's password. Since factory passwords are well known, it's a huge security risk to leave your router set to the default. You can follow our Choosing a Strong Password guide to help you pick a solid password for your router.

Tip: A great place to write your new password down is on a piece of paper taped to the bottom of your router.

Other Asus RT-AC5300 Guides

We have collected a lot of information about the Asus RT-AC5300 router. You can find some of our additional content here.

This is the reset router guide for the Asus RT-AC5300 Asuswrt-Merlin 384.10_2. We also have the following guides for the same router: